According to the related art, as a rule the communication in a motor vehicle between various electrical components such as, for example, the door control unit and seat control unit, takes place with the aid of a bus system (e.g. Controller Area Network, CAN). Moreover, new bus concepts are presently being developed in which the communication between the electrical components is intended to take place via a supply line structure that is provided for the energy supply of the electrical components in the motor vehicle. This new bus concept is also known as Powerline Communications. Only a limited operation of the Powerline Communications is possible with the supply line structures existing in motor vehicles today, since because of interferences and reflections, the information to be transmitted via the supply line structure arrives strongly attenuated at the receiving components, or can even no longer be differentiated from interference signals or noise signals.
PCT Publication No. WO 92/21180 describes a supply line structure for Powerline Communications. In this document, the functioning method of a Powerline Communications is explained quite generally, and solutions are addressed for various problems which may occur when implementing a Powerline Communications. Reference is made specifically to this document with regard to the design of a supply line structure for a Powerline Communications, and with respect to the functioning method of a Powerline Communications.
Moreover, the German Patent No. 197 03 144 describes a method for transmitting information in a motor vehicle via a supply line structure. The Powerline Communications described there is limited to use for electrical components of a back-up aid in a motor vehicle. The supply line structure already in the motor vehicle is used for the Powerline Communications without changes or adaptations to the Powerline Communications.
Finally, the German Published Patent Application No. 39 36 894 describes a bus system for transmitting information between electrical components of a motor vehicle. The bus system may also have a star configuration. However, a T-shaped or a ring-shaped network is conceivable, as well. A particularly simply designed, but nevertheless reliable bus system is proposed in this document. Adaptation of the line structure to specific marginal conditions in the transmission of information is not addressed. Such an adaptation is also not necessary in the bus system described, since these marginal conditions only exist in the case of a Powerline Communications via an existing supply line structure.